In an attempt to ditch modern campaign optics and embrace rustic nostalgia, Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Shyamaprasanna Lohar rolled into the campaign trail atop a bullock cart on Saturday morning. The idea? A throwback to rural Bengal’s roots— and maybe a subtle jab at rising fuel prices.
The setting in Gerai, Ausgram Block-2, had all the makings of a political carnival. With party flags fluttering, slogans echoing, and folk energy in full swing, Lohar — joined by MP Sharmila Sarkar and local leader Sheikh Abdul Lalan — set off in a brightly decorated cart, hoping to win hearts the old-school way.
But midway through the procession, the campaign’s star performer — the bullock — decided it had other plans.
Without warning, one of the animals broke free, apparently unimpressed by the noise, crowd, or perhaps the entire electoral spectacle. In seconds, the calm procession turned chaotic. Supporters scrambled, slogans stopped mid-air, and the cart teetered on the edge of tipping over.
For a brief moment, it looked like the campaign might end in a literal crash landing.
Organisers rushed in, somehow managing to steady the cart and prevent a full-blown mishap. Lohar and Sharmila were safely helped down— shaken but unhurt. The bullock, meanwhile, made a clean political exit.
Despite the dramatic interruption, the campaign refused to stall. Abandoning the runaway “ride,” the leaders switched to a more reliable mode— walking. They continued their outreach through the narrow lanes of Ausgram, proving that while campaign vehicles may fail, political ambition rarely does.
Explaining the unusual choice of transport, organiser Sheikh Abdul Lalan said the bullock cart was meant to highlight disappearing rural traditions and protest soaring petrol and diesel prices. “It was about connecting with the soil,” he noted.
Well, the soil connected back— with interest.
Not one to miss a moment, the BJP camp quickly galloped into the conversation. Saffron leaders quipped that “even the cows seem to have realised times are changing— and they’re unwilling to carry this burden anymore.”
In the end, the bullock may have fled, but it left behind something every campaign craves— attention.
And in Ausgram, for now, that’s running wild.
Also read: TMC goons will have nowhere to go after results: PM Modi
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